Rating: 
Summary: Every recipe is Terrific!
Review: We just love this cookbook! We enjoy Indian food but primarily have tried food from Northern Indian provinces, such as from Madhur Jaffrey's cookbooks, so were unsure what to expect from the Kerala region. Kaimal delivers with awesome recipes for full-flavored filling dishes that are easy-to-prepare. Most of the recipes rely heavily on coconut for flavor as well as a host of other spices and are simply irresistible. What I really love about the cookbook is that she divides the recipe into parts and often mentions that you can prepare up to a certain part in advance so that there's less of a rush at the end. In addition, each recipe has a preparation time, which has always been accurate. Most recipes take between 35 minutes to 1 hour to prepare and use ingredients you can find at any supermarket. As for the unusual ingredients, such as curry leaves - she gives a thorough resources page for mail order so and also gives tips on how to store them to keep them as long as possible in your freezer. We've tried over 50 recipes in Savoring the Spice Coast of India, and EVERY ONE has been truly delicious. There is a wealth of both vegetarian and meat dishes, and also side and dessert dishes so you can have a really balanced meal. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: An essential part of my kitchen
Review: What a delightful little cookbook! First, she gives a great background of Kerala and of her own family. My fiancee is also a Keralite and this book has allowed me to make him many dishes that he hasn't had since he was last home. The pictures are bright, colorful, and visually enticing. The instructions are well thought out and the ingredient listings are logically ordered. In particular, I like how she groups spices under the heading "ground masala" and then in the instructions simply states "add ground masala". It makes it easy to know when to throw it in the mix because I put the ground masala together before I start cooking. This way, I don't have to sort through a list of spices that need to be thrown in quickly. My particular favorite recipes are the piralen, meen molee, and the vadala. Actually, the piralen is now a weekly staple for us because it is so quick and simple to make. Since my prior cooking experiences had been primarily Pakistani and North Indian dishes of a heavier nature, I was amazed at how light and refreshing South Indian cuisine can be. I have just purchased Curried Favors and I can't wait to dig into it! I will be using this book for years to come and look forward to cooking these Keralite delights for my own future children. Now, I am just waiting for Maya's North Indian cuisine cookbook (hint, hint :-)
Rating:
Summary: An essential part of my kitchen
Review: What a delightful little cookbook! First, she gives a great background of Kerala and of her own family. My fiancee is also a Keralite and this book has allowed me to make him many dishes that he hasn't had since he was last home. The pictures are bright, colorful, and visually enticing. The instructions are well thought out and the ingredient listings are logically ordered. In particular, I like how she groups spices under the heading "ground masala" and then in the instructions simply states "add ground masala". It makes it easy to know when to throw it in the mix because I put the ground masala together before I start cooking. This way, I don't have to sort through a list of spices that need to be thrown in quickly. My particular favorite recipes are the piralen, meen molee, and the vadala. Actually, the piralen is now a weekly staple for us because it is so quick and simple to make. Since my prior cooking experiences had been primarily Pakistani and North Indian dishes of a heavier nature, I was amazed at how light and refreshing South Indian cuisine can be. I have just purchased Curried Favors and I can't wait to dig into it! I will be using this book for years to come and look forward to cooking these Keralite delights for my own future children. Now, I am just waiting for Maya's North Indian cuisine cookbook (hint, hint :-)
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